The Los Angeles Times (January 21, 2014)
Half a century ago, the Surgeon General declared cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. Since the earth-shattering report, “the percentage of Americans who smoke has dropped by more than half,” with only 18% still lighting up. “Other developed countries have achieved similarly dramatic smoking reductions.” Staggering estimates are put on items such as lives saved and medical costs eliminated. “But this is not the end of the story, sadly.” Cigarette smoking has grown dramatically in developing countries, nearly tripling between 1970 and 2000 alone. “There are now 1 billion smokers globally, almost one-third of the world’s adult population, and smoking rates are increasing in some countries, such as Bangladesh and Indonesia.”
Tags: Bangladesh, Cigarettes, Developed countries, Developing countries, Estimates, Indonesia, Lives, Lung cancer, Medical costs, Smokers, Surgeon General, U.S.
